2016 UIL High School State Championships

Twelve Dad’s Club swimmers competed at this year’s UIL High School State championships. High School State is one of the most exciting swim meets in the state of Texas. Schools from across the State battle to determine the best high school swim teams in Texas.

The qualification process to participate at High School State is long and very competitive. Swimmers must first place top 6 at the various district championships in order to qualify for one of the 8 Region meets. At each of the 8 Region championships swimmers must win their event in order to automatically qualify for state. Overall only 16 swimmers qualify to compete at the state championships in each event. The remaining 8 spots are determined by the 8 fastest times from across the state.

The UIL State Championships were held at the University of Texas Lee and Joe Jamail Swim Center on February 19th and 20th in Austin Texas.

5A State

Brittany Baerg (Stratford)

Clayton Bobo (Stratford)

Peyton Moak (Stratford)

Morgan Reyna (Stratford)

Erika Stephenson (Stratford)

Emma Stephenson (Stratford)

Cory Stephenson (Stratford)

All of our swimmers who participating at the 5a State Championships represented Stratford High School. Stratford is one of the strongest 5A programs in the state of Texas. The Stratford Spartans have been district and region champions during the last 4 years and have also finished top 3 at state in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and now 2016.

All of our girls participated in both individual and relay events. Erika Stephenson (100 & 200 free) and Morgan Reyna (200IM) reached the B final while Brittany Baerg (100 breast) and Emma Stephenson (50 free and 100 fly) reached the A final in individual events.

Emma Stephenson became Stratford’s first female swimming individual State champion in more than 20 years. Stratford’s last individual champion was Ashley Burton who won the 200 free and 100 fly in 1995. Burtan was a long time Dad’s Club nationally ranked swimmer who went on to swim for Purdue University. Stephenson’s win came in the 100 fly with a personal best of 54.99. Her time makes her the second fastest 100 flyer in 5A UIL Texas history.

On the boys side Clayton Bobo and Cory Stephenson reached the finals in their individual events. Stephenson finished 3rd in the B final of the 100 breast while Bobo made the A final and reached the podium in both the 50 and 100 free.

The Spartans got off to a strong start from the get-go by winning both the girl and boys 200 medley relays. Bobo carried this momentum into the 50 freestyle which helped him become the first individual Stratford State Champion of the day. Bobo’s 50 free time during prelims was his first Speedo Summer Jr National qualifying time.

Bobo’s and Emma Stephenson’s wins make them our 82nd and 83rd UIL individual State Champions in Dad’s Club history. To check out our other UIL champions visit our all-time UIL state champions page under our history.

Dad’s Club swimmers represented four different schools at the 6A State Championships. Riley Carson, Jack Calderwood, Kaley Hoffman and Ellen Pack all qualified in individual races.

Lamar senior Riley Carson had a strong 500 free swim during the preliminaries which secured him a spot in the A final. Carson came a long way by dropping 8 seconds from his performance at regions the year before. His performance also secured him the honor of being Lamar’s 2016 male swimmer of the year.

Jack Calderwood (Strake Jesuit) also made the A final in an individual event. Calderwood outside smoked much of the competition from lane 1 during the finals. His time of 20.84 in the 50 freestyle earned him a 4th place finish. Like Carson, Calderwood’s state performance secured him as the 2016 Strake Jesuit swimmer of the year.

This was Kaley Hoffman’s and Ellen Pack’s first trip to the state championships. Both ladies delivered by having strong swims in individual and relay events. Hoffman swam a personal best in the 200 IM during the B final which helped her move up two spots from her prelim ranking. Pack was instrumental in Cinco Ranch’s bronze winning 200 medley relay with a blazing 50 fly split of 25.47.

Chris Hung from Cinco Ranch was our lone 6A gold medalist of the day. His win came in one of the most exciting relay races of the meet. Cinco Ranch was favored to dominate the 200 medley relay, but after an accidental late start by the backstroke leg lots of pressure was placed on the remaining three swimmers. Hung delivered by splitting a personal best in the 50 breast with a time of 27.38. In the end the Cinco Ranch boys out-touched the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place relays by just a few tenths.

6A State Champions

Chris Hung – 200 Medley Relay

Dad’s Club team records

Emma Stephenson

13-14 100 fly 54.99

Open 100 fly 54.99

Clayton Bobo

Open 50 back 23.10

15-16 50 free 20.57

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